


All Bets Are Off

by scheherazade



Category: Tenimyu RPF
Genre: Bachon has a betting problem, Kane just has problems, M/M, Masa has a Fuji problem, Rikkai shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-28
Updated: 2015-04-28
Packaged: 2018-03-26 03:54:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3836074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scheherazade/pseuds/scheherazade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It had been funny initially, because good casting is one thing, but Kanesaki's dumbstruck expression during the first Rikkai table read was something else altogether. Renn started the running bet of how long Yagami could possibly string their fukubuchou along before Kane cottoned on to the fact that, seriously, he had no chance in hell.</p><p>Masa took him up on that bet, mostly because Baba was way too smug about his own prediction of "graduation and beyond; why else would he be Sanada?". At which point Genki wanted to know what everyone was snickering about, and by the end of the day the entirety of Rikkai (minus two not-so-significant others) were in on the pool.</p><p>Yeah, that casting director knew what she was doing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All Bets Are Off

It had been funny initially, because good casting is one thing, but Kanesaki's dumbstruck expression during the first Rikkai table read was something else altogether. Renn started the running bet of how long Yagami could possibly string their fukubuchou along before Kane cottoned on to the fact that, seriously, he had no chance in hell.

Masa took him up on that bet, mostly because Baba was way too smug about his own prediction of "graduation and beyond; why else would he be Sanada?". At which point Genki wanted to know what everyone was snickering about, and by the end of the day the entirety of Rikkai (minus two not-so-significant others) were in on the pool.

Yeah, that casting director knew what she was doing.

"Not that I don't support your desire for entertainment," Masa says during one interminable pause-and-restart day of rehearsals, "but you don't actually think you're gonna win the bet, do you?"

Baba doesn't look away from the racquet he's trying to balance on one finger. "Eh. Call me an optimist."

"Seriously. It's been like two months."

"And he's still following Ouji around like a dumb corgi." The racquet wobbles dangerously, but somehow stays upright. Baba whoops — not that anyone else is around in the empty hallway to see his accomplishment. "Anyway, you've already lost your money."

"I despair for my ¥300. Not as much as Genki will rue his pocket money, but hey."

"He'll just make Kane treat him to dinner."

"Whoever wins should buy everyone dinner."

"Will do," says Baba like the smug bastard that he is. "Just remind me."

Masa tips the racquet out of his hands en route back to the studio, ignoring the other man's yelp of protest.

By Christmas, Kento and Jutta have also been eliminated from the running.

("I don't know whether to be more alarmed by your lack of data or Kane-san's lack of anything even approaching self-preservation," Renn mutters, backstage during the Rokkaku ad lib.

Kento just shrugs. Genki twirls his racket. "You're next, Renn-san.")

By the end of the musical's run, only Genki and Baba are left.

A week before the start of Dream Live 4th, Baba goes out with Takki and Masei and tells them more than he should about the goings-on in the Rikkai dressing room — and a week later, their off-hand bet is now a semi-serious ¥7,000 jackpot involving half of Seigaku.

("You did that on purpose," Masa accuses, as they're waiting for curtains on the final performance.

Baba adjusts his glasses. "Are you accusing me of hustling you?"

"Are you?"

He gets a smirk in reply. "Puri.")

The first week of rehearsals for the second Rikkai musical, Minami walks up to him during lunch break. "This bet you guys have going on — it's a bit reckless, don't you think?"

Masa shrugs. "I'm already out, so." He unwraps his lunch, offers a piece to the other man. "Bread?"

"No, thank you." Minami shifts awkwardly, as if physically incapable of getting the next words out. "It's just. You know. Masei...can't keep a secret."

"...Okay?"

"Really. It's empirically proven."

"What do you mean," Masa begins, and then spots Baba whispering with Yagami in another corner of the break room. They're giggling at something, and a couple paces away, Kane is utterly failing at pretending to be not eavesdropping. "Oh, come _on_."

Minami blinks at the bread that's suddenly shoved into his hands. "Wait, don't tell them I—"

But Masa is already out of earshot. He taps Baba on the shoulder.

"Hey there, partner of mine." Masa returns Yagami's inquisitive look with a smile, keeps his attention focused on Baba who by now knows him well enough to know which smile is the one you should run from. Masa grabs his arm and yanks him out of his chair before he can protest. "Need to borrow you for a sec. Emergency doubles practice."

"But we already—" Baba splutters, halfway through a bite of apple.

Masa hauls him down three adjoining corridors and into an emergency stairwell.

Baba makes an exaggerated show of surveying their location. "So when you said 'doubles practice', you meant...?"

Masa stares blankly at him. Baba raises both eyebrows.

Masa snorts. "Oh, as if. You're not my type."

"What is your type?"

"You told Masei about the bet on purpose," he interrupts, because he doesn't really want to know where the other conversation is going. "And now he's told Yagami."

"What? That's crazy—"

"I talked to Minakei."

"Damn, neither of those two can keep a secret," Baba mutters. "All right, so he knows. So what? It's not like anything about this is a secret anyway."

"Seriously? Is this all just to win? What do you need ¥7,000 for anyway?"

"I dunno. To treat people to a nice dinner?"

Masa gives him a flat look. Eventually Baba rolls his eyes.

"Joking. Obviously I'm gonna use it to buy Kane some doujin for his sexual frustr— Ow! Not the hair!"

"Oh, so you _do_ know what pain feels like." Masa wipes his hands on his trousers; how much product did Baba use in his hair, seriously? "Knock it off. Giving Yagami more incentive to actually lead him on is just mean."

"Just trying to make life imitate art."

"Yeah, because exploding tennis balls killing dinosaurs is _so_ lifelike."

"...huh?"

Pause.

"You never saw the anime?" Masa asks.

Baba shrugs. "I'm more of a manga guy."

The stairwell door clangs opens noisily. "You guys up there?" comes Genki's curious voice. "Ouji said you're practicing doubles stuff, but rehearsal is actually starting again in a minute."

"We're coming," Masa replies, and regrets his choice of words immediately as Baba smirks.

"Doubles practice, huh?"

Masa turns on his heel. "You're an ass."

"Thank the casting director," Baba calls after him.

Takki and Masei lose their collective ¥1,500 by the end of the Osaka run. Doori forks over ¥200 right before the last performance, and by the end of a tearful graduation for 3rd Cast Seigaku, only Aiba is left representing the blue and white.

"I've seen this one before." Aiba grins, eyes still suspiciously shiny after the final curtain has fallen. Leaning against the doorway of the Rikkai dressing room, he hands Masa a ¥1,000 bill. "Shirota was much worse, trust me. Anyway. You call me when someone wins the bet, huh?"

"Call you when Bachon hustles everyone out of their life's savings, more like."

"Call me whenever," Aiba laughs, bumping his shoulder. Masa takes the opportunity to pull him into a half hug, because whatever, if you can't show a little affection saying goodbye then when can you?

It still doesn't mean that Baba is going to win.

"Gather up, party people," comes Seto's voice from down the hall. "One last time, and attendance is mandatory! Dinner's on our captains, drinks on yourself or whoever wants to buy you one!"

"I don't remember agreeing to this," Yagami says, laughing as he packs up his bag.

Kane glances around the emptying dressing room. "You don't have to."

Masa and Aiba exchange a look as Yagami smiles at Kane, something about his demeanor sharpening like a predator closing in for the kill. He slings his bag over one shoulder, hooks his other arm around Kane's elbow.

"No, I'd love to," Yagami says. "It occurs to me I've been pretty neglectful as your buchou."

Aiba pulls Masa out of the way as the pair of them stroll out, arm in arm.

Masa thunks his head back against the wall. "Even Kane can't be _this_ stupid." He glances at Aiba. "Your bet's still good 'til the end of the night, yeah?"

"Well, I said the end of this musical..."

"Show's not over. Come on." Masa slaps the ¥1,000 back into Aiba's hand and hauls him along after Kane and Yagami. "We're getting front row seats to the long-awaited implosion of this flirtation from hell."

It doesn't occur to him, until later, that Aiba's hand closed around his own without any hesitation.

In his defense, he's preoccupied with staring daggers while Yagami shamelessly touches Kane's arm — wrist — knee at every opportunity through the entire evening, replete with pointed little smiles that make Masa remember why he was cast in this role in the first place.

"Somebody's been getting cozy," Baba says right into his ear.

Masa jumps and nearly spills his drink. He manages a half-hearted glare as Baba slides into the booth beside him, in Aiba's vacated seat. "Only because Kane's a bigger idiot than I thought. Where are they anyway? It can't take that long to find the restroom." A thought occurs to him. "Oh my god, you don't think they're actually—"

"Chill. Kane doesn't even know the meaning of a quickie." Baba steals a pickle off his plate. "They split a cab back home."

Masa chokes on a sip of wine. " _What?_ "

"Anyway, I meant you and Aibacchi," Baba says, and Masa is suddenly glad that the rest of his table are currently absent. "You play a long game, I'll give you that."

Masa tries to shove him out of the booth as he spots Aiba returning from the restroom. "There is no game, and go away. Don't you have some crybabies to make fun of?"

"Masei already went home."

"Kento's still around here somewhere."

"Yeah. But you're more fun."

"What are you guys talking about?" Aiba asks, walking up. He gives them a curious look.

Masa pretends he wasn't in the middle of trying to tickle Baba into giving up his seat. He folds his hands above the table. "Nothing. Just. It's getting kind of late, huh?"

"Ah." Aiba looks at Baba, who's now twirling Masa's wineglass. "Yeah. I guess it is getting late."

"We should go somewhere," Baba says suddenly, "now that the babies have gone to bed."

Masa kicks him under the table. Aiba smiles down at the floor, rummages in his pocket. "I think I'm good. I should get going. Anyway, here." He hands over the same ¥1,000 from before. "To the victor."

"He hasn't won yet," Masa mutters.

"I could call you when that happens," Baba offers, though he's already taken the money.

Aiba just smiles again. "That's okay. Though, for what it's worth, I hope Genki wins."

"Oi, don't root for the copycat bet!"

This time, Masa puts some force behind the elbow to Baba's ribs. 

Aiba holds out his hand when he approaches. Masa hesitates for a split second — but all right, so maybe the hug was a one-time thing. He shakes Aiba's hand.

"Good luck," he says, and, "we'll see you around."

When he turns back around, Baba has finished the rest of his wine and is giving him one of those smirks. Masa sighs.

"Not my type, okay? And shut up."

Baba grins at the empty wineglass. "I didn't say anything."

But he does say something — he says an awful lot of somethings to an awful lot of people, apparently — all of which results in Yuuta strolling up to Masa after the first day of Higamyu rehearsals, that no-good grin on his face still exactly the same as when he'd been fourteen.

Only difference is, now, Yuuta kind of towers over Masa when he leans casually against the doorjamb to block the escape route.

"You weren't kidding about the grapevine around here, huh? Tomo just told me — in what was probably a serious senpai kind of tone — that I should watch out for you. Apparently you broke my predecessor's heart."

Masa scowls. "And apparently you want me to break your face."

"Wow, so it _was_ a thing?"

"What part of that was anywhere near close to an affirmative?"

"Nothing," Yuuta says breezily, removing himself from the doorway just as Masa starts contemplating plausible ways to set Yanagishita's stupid bandana on fire. "But I know you."

He waltzes off. And Masa, against all better judgment, follows after him.

"You haven't even called me in like a year," he points out. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"You seemed busy with all this Tenimyu stuff. Though guess we're in the same boat now."

Yuuta pushes open the front door, motions for Masa to go first. It's already chilly enough to warrant an extra scarf that Masa forgot to bring. He sticks his hands in his pockets.

"I haven't been _that_ busy," he mutters. "You're making me sound like a bad friend."

"I would never. Anyway, I understand your attention was well occupied by Aiba-san."

Masa resists the urge to facepalm. He's in public. It wouldn't be good for his image. Also his hands are much warmer in his pockets than they would be against his face.

"And I assume you were busy charming the pants off every girl in your dance studio, as usual," he grumbles instead. "Yanagishita needs to get a life. Or a good lay. Even if both are equally implausible for him."

Yuuta laughs at him. "Sure you're not just mad at yourself for being so predictable?"

"I am not predictable. How am I predictable?"

"You have a type," Yuuta says, uncoiling the scarf around his neck. "You always go for the obnoxiously charming idiots."

"Not true. I only date dancers."

"Which Aiba also is, last I checked." Yuuta drapes his scarf around Masa's neck. "Ergo, type."

Masa glares daggers at him, though the effect is probably ruined when he hunches his shoulders to burrow into the residual warmth still clinging to Yuuta's scarf.

And yeah, his stupid kouhai might have a point, Masa thinks later, staring up at the ceiling while Yuuta snores beside him.

He scrubs his hand over his face. It's a problem.

It becomes a bigger problem when, a week later, he walks into the Rikkai dressing room and catches Yagami handing Baba two ¥1,000 bills.

"What the hell was that about?" Masa demands, when he's got Baba alone during a rehearsal break.

Baba gives him a patently-fake look of incomprehension. "What was what?"

"You and Yagami. I saw money change hands. You can't cut him in on the bet!"

"Why? This bet's not about him."

"What do you mean it's not—" Masa pauses, follows Baba's line of sight across the studio to where Seigaku are butchering yet another piece of choreography. "You bastard. You didn't."

"Not me," Baba says, smirking. "Daisuke."

"Why the hell would _he_ —"

"He's friends with Furukawa. Really, I thought you'd know that, given your history." Baba leans closer. "Speaking of which — I bet you'd already done it. Was I right?"

Masa grabs his racquet and stands up. "I hate you so much right now."

"Wait, was I?! Hey, wait, seriously!"

Masa stomps off.

He doesn't want to know, but it's not like he can stop Yuuta from telling him just how much money Seigaku lost to Baba's devious machinations. Maybe it's what pushes him to do what he does next, out of an innate sense of economic justice.

Or spite. Whatever. Like hell Masa's just gonna sit around and let Baba make a windfall off of other people's private lives.

And besides, it's been a year. A whole _year_. So when Masa catches Kane loitering around the dressing room, obviously waiting for someone, he marches up to their fukubuchou and ignores the way Kane suddenly pretends to be interested in his phone.

"Hey, you busy right now?"

Kane gives him a wary look. "Why?"

"Let's get dinner," Masa says. "You owe me."

"I do? For what?"

"Or maybe I owe you. Doesn't matter." Masa loops his arm around Kane's before the other man has a chance to protest. "How's ramen sound?"

Over two steaming bowls of noodles, Masa studies his reluctant companion. Kane's been avoiding eye contact and cracked only one awkward joke since they left the studio.

"Thanks for the food," Kane says, sounding as Sanada-like as when he's on stage.

Masa figures he might as well be blunt.

"You know that Yagami's never gonna sleep with you, right?"

Kane chokes on a sip of broth. He turns an interesting shade of red, either from embarrassment or the spicy flakes in the soup.

Masa thumps him on the back when the spluttering turns into outright coughing. The shop owner gives them a vaguely disapproving look. Masa slides his glass of water over.

Kane downs half of it. His face is still red. "Why would you say that all of a sudden?"

"Oh, come on. If it hasn't happened by now, then I hardly think you hanging onto his every word is gonna change anything in the future."

Kane blinks. Then his eyes narrow. "Is this why you bought me dinner?"

"Just looking out for you, fukubuchou."

Kane snorts. "Better look out for yourself."

"I'm not the one mooning after Yagami."

"Well, you do have your plate full, between Baba and every Fuji that crosses your path. I lost ¥500 thanks to you."

"Oh my god, even _you_ —?" Masa catches himself. "Okay. That's your own fault. And don't change the subject."

Kane smirks at his scowl. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You and Yagami, that's what we're talking about."

"There is no me and Yagami," Kane says, picking up his chopsticks. "It's a bad idea to sleep with cast mates — and yeah, I am judging you a little. Next time you ask a guy out to dinner, don't do it while everyone's still gossiping about your last conquest."

Masa splutters on a sip of water. "You thought I was — what?!"

"I'm glad you aren't, in any case." Kane stirs his ramen. "I know nothing's gonna happen with Yagami. And I don't want anything to."

Masa stares at him. "Really? That's it?"

"Really."

"I bought you dinner for nothing?"

Kane grins around a bite of ramen. "Thanks for the food."

Masa drops his head into his hands. "I don't believe this. You're just — you look at him like he's actually Yukimura fucking Seiichi!"

"I _am_ an actor," Kane sniffs.

"...it was _all_ an act?"

"Well, at first, sure," Kane admits. "But only for like a month. That was when nearly everybody had an Ouji phase, remember? Especially Minakei. Ha, there's a funny story actually — hey, where you going?"

"Be right back," Masa says, phone in hand and retreating for the door. "Somebody owes me a lot of money."

It's not like he really needs the ¥7,000 either. But Masa would be lying if he said it didn't feel damn good watching Baba sliding the money across the cafe table.

"You picked a hell of a time for a debt collecting call," Baba says, accepting a glass of sparkling water from their server.

Masa tucks the money into his pocket. "What, were you expecting a booty call?" He raises his own coffee in an ironic toast. "Thanks for the drink."

Baba rolls his eyes. “You’re the one who should be buying me a drink.” 

“I would, but I just bought Kane dinner, so you’re shit out of luck.”

“So it would appear.”

“What?”

“Can’t complain, anyway, seeing I did win ¥5,000 off your promiscuous ways.”

“Shut the fuck up. I can’t believe you even made that bet, you ass.”

Baba shrugs. “Call me a pessimist.”

"You mean optimist. Or opportunist."

"You gonna call Aiba to tell him about your glorious victory?"

"Shut up."

"I bet he'll want to congratulate you."

"You putting money on that?"

"¥5,000 and it's a deal."

Masa snorts. "Don't be bitter, just because Kane's not as stupid as you thought. I mean, imagine if you were actually right. How mad awkward would the rest of our lives be? Kane would've found out eventually, and you'd have to admit to his face that you were actively rooting for his suffering."

"He's a grown-ass man," Baba snaps. "If he was still hung up on somebody like that, whether they're actually oblivious or maliciously refusing to do the decent thing of putting you out of your misery — then that's on him."

Long pause.

"Wow," Masa says finally. "That's cold."

"Yeah, well." Baba drains the rest of his water. He sets down the empty glass, counts a couple bills and leaves those on the table as well.

"See you at rehearsal," he says, and goes.

Things get a little weird after that. Though it's a couple days before Masa notices, what with an insane rehearsal schedule and the general mayhem that is any given day on a Tenimyu set. He spends half his time helping people with the new numbers, the other half is reserved for gossip, and somewhere between all that they even manage to get in a few all-cast dance practices.

Sometimes, Masa worries for Ueshima-sensei's mental health. Then again, the baseline for that evaluation was probably always nonexistent to begin with anyway.

On Friday, Yuuta flops down beside him at lunch break, tugs off his face mask and says,

"I seem to have made some enemies."

"Give me your cold and you can add me to that list." Masa takes a bite of his apple. "Whose girlfriend did you hit on this time?"

He looks up from his food when Yuuta doesn't laugh. He finds the other man leaning back, gazing ponderously at the ceiling. 

"What?" Masa asks, because he knows that look.

Yuuta shrugs. "You."

"Me?"

"Apparently." 

Masa parses and reparses their conversation and comes to no deeper understanding of its vagaries. "Come again?"

Yuuta shrugs. "Just saying, if I turn up dead in a ditch somewhere, have the police question Yagami. And maybe Genki-san." He replaces the face mask and stands up. "But it'd be better if you can just patch things up before anything of a homicidal nature occurs."

Masa stares after him as he walks away. 

He's off-kilter for the rest of the day, and by the time Ueshima-sensei dismisses them with more than a few pointed sighs, Masa has come to two conclusions: one, Yuuta isn't going to be any more help on the subject, seeing as he spent the entire afternoon avoiding so much as making eye contact with Masa; hence, two, he needs to have some words with Yagami.

"What's eating at you?" Genki asks later, as Masa packs up his things. 

Masa glances toward Yagami's reflection in the mirror. "Just trying to get home."

"That last runthrough, you sounded worse than Kento. No offense."

“None taken. He's gotten better."

"Are you sick?" Genki flattens his hand against Masa's forehead. "Did you catch Furukawa's cold?"

Masa bats his hand away. "Don't you have a curfew or something?"

"I'm not a baby."

"You'll always be our Genki-chan."

"Literally no one calls me that, okay."

"Not what I heard from Doori."

"Fuck off."

"Language," Masa and Yagami snap simultaneously. Their eyes meet in the mirror. Yagami looks away first, zips up his bag with unnecessary haste. 

Masa buttons up his jacket. "Genki, seriously, I'm fine. See you tomorrow."

He hurries after Yagami and catches him at the door. 

"Hey. Got a sec?"

Yagami checks his watch with exaggerated long-suffering. "Not really."

"Great," Masa says, following him out onto the street. "Because I need to know why Yuuta seems to think you want him dead. Exaggeration, but."

"Is it?"

"Is what?"

"If you need me to spell this out for you, then you're worse than even Kane. Not a compliment."

"None taken," Masa replies, before his brain catches up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Baba always bets on worst-case scenarios. It's not about the money. It's about expectations."

There's a very long pause.

"I get that you're trying to make a point," Masa says finally, "but, seriously, you're neither as cryptic nor illuminating as you think you are."

Yagami rolls his eyes. "He told me to be nice to Kane, not string him along. And for the record, where'd you get the idea that I'm a malicious bitch who'd toy with somebody's feelings like that?"

"Guess you just have that kind of aura."

"You calling me a tease?"

"You're in the right business."

"Point. But beside the actual point." Yagami huffs, and his breath mists in the cold air. "Did you even notice that he's barely talked to you in like a week?"

"Bachon? We talk. What do you mean we don't talk?"

"You always leave rehearsal with Furukawa."

"What do you have against him?"

"It's not nice, toying with somebody's feelings."

Masa gives him a blank look. "Yuuta is perfectly aware of what my _feelings_ are. Or aren't, for that matter."

"I'm not talking about him."

"But you just—"

"I meant _Baba_ , jackass. Are you seriously this stupid? Have you even seen the way he looks at you? Or were you too busy worrying about my dishonorable lack of intention towards Kane to notice that, in fact, it's _you_ who's been doing that all along?"

Yagami's glare is actually kind of terrifying, a small part of Masa's brain registers. The rest of his brain, unfortunately, seems to have stopped functioning altogether.

"That's not true," he tries — and yeah, that was the wrong thing to say, he knows, even as Yagami's glare intensifies to Yukimura levels of oh-shit-run-for-your-life.

"He has feelings for you. _Feelings,_ " Yagami repeats, voice nearly a hiss. And, when Masa doesn't respond, "As in like _that_. The kind you don't have for Furukawa. _Doubles_ feelings."

A bus goes by on the street. 

"Did you just use 'doubles' as subtext for 'gay'?"

Yagami snorts. "There's no subtext here. Just text. Written in giant letters on the wall. Get your head out of your ass, Nakagauchi, and read the damn print." 

Masa looks for a word and doesn't find it.

He parts ways with Yagami at the bus stop, walks around the block twice before catching his own train home. 

He gets as far as the door. His hand refuses to turn the damn key in the lock. 

Masa swears under his breath. Pockets the keys, turns on his heel and walks right back to the train station.

The call nearly goes to voicemail before Baba answers.

"Hello?"

"Open the door," Masa says. "I'm outside your apartment."

"You're— What are you doing outside my apartment?"

"Waiting for you to open the door." Masa lowers his phone and raises his voice. "Your light's on and I can hear the TV!"

A muffled curse, and the line goes dead.

Baba opens the door. "You know, if the walls are thin enough for you to hear me, then they're also thin enough for my neighbors to hear you."

Masa pockets his phone. "Get better walls. Or get some better neighbors."

"Did you come all the way here to bitch about my neighbors? Kaguma-san wasn't actually lecturing you about your life choices that time. She's just like a billion years old and everybody—"

"Take me on a date."

Baba stares at him.

Masa counts to three in his head.

He only gets to two before Baba grabs him by the front of his shirt and tries to yank him into the apartment. Masa braces both hands on the door frame.

"Whoa there, sparky. I'll have you know I don't put out until at least the second date."

"Tell it to Furukawa. And I'm not having this conversation in the hall." Baba tugs on his shirt again. Masa steps inside.

The door closes behind them.

Masa raises both eyebrows. "How is this any better?"

"It's not, so just — shut up. For one sec. Okay?" Baba makes an aborted motion of the hair-tearing variety. "First. Why are you here? Why are we having this conversation?"

"Yagami said I've been neglecting you."

"Yagami said what?"

"He suggested that we should get serious about playing doubles."

"...he did not say that."

"No," Masa admits, "actually, what he said was more like I should take you out to a nice dinner and apologize and then make up for a lot of sex we should have been having, since apparently you've been giving me the signal for like a year now."

He watches Baba's face go red and then go pale in quick succession.

"Didn't really believe him until just now," Masa adds, softer. "So he's right? I've been that crap at being a friend?"

"No," Baba says finally, "and don't try to guilt-trip me."

"I'm not."

"Then what? Coming over here to — what? What is this? A pity fuck?" His hands ball into fists. "I do have some self-respect left."

"And I already told you, I don't sleep with a guy on the first date."

"You slept with Furukawa."

"That wasn't a date."

"Then what do you call it?"

"Frustration." Masa shrugs at the look that Baba gives him, because yeah, no, he's not proud of that. But it is what it is. "It's just sex, okay? I didn't wine him and dine him or anything, so stop looking at me like that. It's called setting boundaries."

"Uh huh," Baba says, while his tone says the opposite. "Because that makes sense."

"I know I'm not great at this, but this is just how I work. I don't sleep around with everyone, but sleeping around also doesn't mean anything. I don't even know why I'm telling you this, except you're clearly obsessed with the thing with Yuuta, so I'm telling you now — the day I have dinner and drinks and sex with the same person, that’s the day you can actually give me shit about it. Though I wouldn't, because then you'd actually be betting against yourself."

Baba just stares at him.

Masa shrugs. "This is the part where you make your grand gesture now."

Baba stares at him for a moment longer. Then,

"Are you sure you don't put out on the first date?"

Masa shoves him. 

"That's no way to ask somebody out."

Baba just grins, grabbing his keys off the hook by the door. "If I'm not getting any until next time anyway, I think you should pay for dinner."

"You're assuming I'll even agree to a next time," Masa says, following him out into the hall.

Baba's hand slips around his waist. "Call me an optimist."

If he's honest, Masa doesn't really know what he's expecting. He wasn't lying about his romantic habits, except maybe by virtue of omission. Because, after twenty-two years on this good earth, seven years of living on his own, three years of messing around and getting to know his own likes and preferences — in all that time, he's never actually let anyone take him to dinner or bed a second time.

So no, he doesn't really know what he's expecting; but Genki walking up to Baba the next day and saying, "Pay up," — was definitely not it.

"What'd you bet on now?" Masa asks, peering into the mirror to fix his wig. "And why am I not in on it?"

Baba smiles faintly as he hands Genki ¥2,000 in change. "Conflict of interest."

Genki snorts. "More like obvious interest. Can't believe it took you this long to get some. You nearly cost me half this week's food money. Kane's gonna be pissed, though — another month and he would've won. But I told him, he's the only person who actually believes that crap about 'professional' cast relationships."

Masa nearly rips a tuft of hair out by accident. Baba calmly wipes his glasses.

Genki smirks into the mirror, already fully costumed and racquet in hand. "See you on stage in ten." His pockets jingle with coins as he saunters out, and Masa tries to remember when their brat became an actual, well, _brat_.

"Bachon."

"Yes?"

"Hypothetically speaking, when I kick your ass — would it be because you assumed I'd sleep with anybody who asks, or because you were being a self-pitying moron?"

"I erred on the side of good faith." Baba puts on his glasses. "You should be happy I didn't think you're a complete skank."

"You should be happy I didn't think you're a complete idiot. You're a grown-ass man. Letting yourself get hung up on someone and not doing anything about it? That's definitely on you."

"Are you throwing my own words in my face?"

"Are you gonna listen to them?"

Baba picks up his racquet, smiling as he stands. "Masa-san," he says, in his best perfect-prep-school-prefect voice. "Would you like to have dinner with me tonight? It would be my pleasure to treat you and to escort you home after the fact."

Masa sticks one last hairpin into his wig. "If that's your pick up line, I can see why you're not getting laid."

"Is that a yes?"

"Lucky for you, I don't do pick up lines anyway." According to the clock, they're not late for rehearsal. Yet. "Come here."

That gets him a skeptical look. Masa glances at the door, tugs Baba closer and kisses him — quick, but enough to leave a smear of lip gloss on his mouth. He grins at the look on Baba's face.

"That," he says, "was a yes."

He strolls out of the dressing room, even as Kane's voice starts echoing down the hall, calling the last few stragglers to the stage. Masa looks over his shoulder just once, though he already knows that Baba will be right behind him.

It works, he figures. And he can wait to see how this goes.

**Author's Note:**

> Standard "blame [acchikocchi](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/acchikocchi)" disclaimer applies.
> 
> Now featuring a sequel set during the Nationals Rikkaimyus: [Reprise](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4096492).


End file.
